Louis C. Shepard

Infobox Military Person
name= Louis Capet Shepard
born= Birth date|1841|9|2
died= Death date and age|1919|4|27|1841|9|2
placeofbirth= Ashtabula, Ohio
placeofdeath= Danbury, Ohio
placeofburial=


caption=Ordinary Seaman Louis C. Shepard
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|USA United States of America
branch=nowrap|
serviceyears= 1861–1865
rank= Private Corporal Ordinary Seaman
commands=
unit= Co. I 19th Ohio Infantry 11th Indpt. Batt'y, N.Y. Light Art'y "USS Allegheny" "USS Wabash" "USS Commodore Perry" "USS Constellation"
battles=American Civil War
*Battle of Rich Mountain
*Second Battle of Bull Run
*Also known as
*Second Manassas
*Chancellorsville
*Gettysburg
*Battle of Mine Run
*Second Battle of Fort Fisher
awards=
laterwork=

Lewis Capet Shepard (September 2, 1841 – April 27, 1919) was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio and was a Union Navy sailor during the American Civil War who received America's highest military decoration the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher. Due to a Navy clerical error however his citation and history will always record his first name as Louis [For factual Medal of Honor history sake this page is named Louis C. Shepard for it is under this name due to a Navy clerical error that the MOH was Awarded.] [A Quick search of findagrave|5015784 will produce the grave of Mr. Shepard and his wife Velma and one can clearly see the family headstone contradicts the Government headstone.] [The original submitter of this page is in possession of the death certificates of Lewis Capet, Velma Eudora and their son Osmer Lewis Shepard.]

Army Service

Shepard enlisted as a private in Company I, of the 19th Ohio Infantry, mustering in on the 27th of April 1861 for a term of three months. During that time he participated in the Battle of Rich Mountain in Randolph County, Virginia (now West Virginia). This first major land battle of the civil war and Union victory propelled General George B. McClellan to command of the Army of the Potomac. According to Shepards 19th OVI muster card he spent three days on extra duty setting telegraph poles, mustering out of this unit 30 Aug 1861.

He reenlisted in the 11th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery on the 18th of Sep 1861 for a period of three years. On Aug 26 1862 he was captured with 19 other soldiers from the 11th IBNYA at the Second Battle of Bull Run also known as Second Manassas. During Oct and Nov 1862 he is listed with the 7th Detachment, 2nd Battalion, Paroled Prisoners, at Annapolis, Maryland. After returning to the 11th IBNYA in Dec 1862 he was promoted to Corporal on the 2nd of Jan 1863. Corporal Shepards unit was transferred to the Reserve Artillery and attached temporarily to Battery K, 1st New York Light Artillery, Shepard also saw action at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and the Battle of Mine Run.

Corporal Shepard was discharged on the 7th and reenlisted on the 8th of Feb 1864 in the 11th IBNYA at Brandy Station, Va. as a veteran volunteer under General Order 191 signed June 25 1863. He was again discharged on the 23 of April 1864 after petitioning the Army for a transfer to the Navy under General Order 91 of 1864.

Navy Service

Enlisting in the U.S. Navy on the 25th of Apr 1864 at Baltimore, Maryland. as an ordinary seaman he served aboard the "USS Allegheny", "USS Wabash", "USS Commodore Perry" and the "USS Constellation".

During his service aboard the "USS Wabash", he participated in the landing party that assaulted Fort Fisher in Wilmington, North Carolina in January 1865. He advanced gallantly through severe enemy fire, while armed only with a revolver and cutlass, which made it impossible to return the fire at that range. Shepard succeeded in not only reaching the angle of the fort, but in being one of the few to enter it. When the rest of the men to his rear were forced to retreat due to devastating fire, Shepard was forced to withdraw and seek the shelter of one of the mounds near the stockade. Shepard then succeeded in regaining the safety of his ship.

Shepard was just 23 years old at the time. After the fall of Fort Fisher, the Confederate army evacuated its remaining forts in the Cape Fear area, and Union forces soon overtook Wilmington. Once Wilmington fell, the supply line of the Confederacy was severed, and the war soon ended.

He was later presented with the Medal of Honor in recognition of his service. Due to a Navy clerical error, his citation reads Louis; however his name was spelled Lewis. Shepard died in Danbury, Ohio, and was buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Port Clinton, Ohio.

In April 2005, Ohio Congressman Steven C. LaTourette, representing the district that contains Shepard's native Ashtabula, passed a resolution in the House honoring Shephard. The flag that was flown over the United States Capitol on April 27, 2005, was unveiled on Memorial Day 2005 during the dedication ceremony for the new Ashtabula County Veterans Memorial. VFW Post 3334 in Jefferson was instrumental on behalf of the new memorial, and for choosing to honor the valor of Louis C. Shepard.

Medal of Honor citation

Rank and Organization::Ordinary Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: 1843, Ohio. Accredited to: Ohio. G.O. No.: 59, 22 June 1865.

Citation::Served as seaman on board the U.S.S. Wabash in the assault on Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865. Advancing gallantly through severe enemy fire while armed only with a revolver and cutlass which made it impossible to return the fire at that range, Shepard succeeded in reaching the angle of the fort and in going on, to be one of the few who entered the fort. When the rest of the body of men to his rear were forced to retreat under a devastating fire, he was forced to withdraw through lack of support and to seek the shelter of one of the mounds near the stockade from which point he succeeded in regaining the safety of his ship.cite web
publisher = AmericanCivilWar.com
title = "Civil War Medal of Honor Citations" (S-Z): Shepard, Louis C.
date =
url = http://americancivilwar.com/medal_of_honor8.html
accessdate = 2007-11-09] cite web
publisher = army.mil
title = "Medal of Honor website” (M-Z): Shepard, Louis C.
date =
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwarmz.html
accessdate = 2007-11-09]

Medal of Honor Legion

No. 105

In the Name and by the Authority of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States.

To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting

Know ye that "Louis C. Shepard" having received a Medal of Honor for distinguished gallantry in action, in accordance with the Acts of Congress and having rendered faithful service in maintaining the honor, integrity and supremacy of the United States of America, was received as a companion of the First Class of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States of America on the fourth day of October Anno Domine, eighteen hundred and ninety two

In Testimony Whereof the names of the Commander and Adjutant and the seal of the order are hereunto affixed. Given at Washington D.C. this ninth day of June in the year of our lord eighteen hundred and ninety seven

Nelson A. Milescite web
publisher = AmericanCivilWar.com
title = "Civil War Medal of Honor Citations" (S-Z): Miles, Nelson A.
date =
url = http://americancivilwar.com/medal_of_honor6.html
accessdate = 2007-11-09] cite web
publisher = army.mil
title = "Medal of Honor website” (M-Z): Miles, Nelson A.
date =
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwarmz.html
accessdate = 2007-11-09] Commander

John Tweedalecite web
publisher = AmericanCivilWar.com
title = "Civil War Medal of Honor Citations" (S-Z): Tweedale, John
date =
url = http://americancivilwar.com/medal_of_honor8.html
accessdate = 2007-11-29] cite web
publisher = army.mil
title = "Medal of Honor website” (M-Z): Tweedale, John
date =
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/civwarmz.html
accessdate = 2007-11-29] Adjutant

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*
*List of U.S. military decorations

Notes

References

:NHC
*cite web
publisher = The Werner Company
title = The Story of American Heroism
work = Online Library
date = 1897
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=F80TAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA731&dq=%22shepard,+lewis+c%22#PPA731,M1
accessdate = 2008-08-22
*cite web
publisher = Naval Historical Center
title = US People - Shepard, Louis C.
work = Online Library
date = 2004-12-16
url = http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-s/l-sheprd.htm
accessdate = 2007-05-10
*cite web
title =Louis C. Shepard, Medal of Honor recipient
work =Home of Heroes
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.homeofheroes.com/photos/1_civilwar/shepard_louis.html ]

*findagrave|5015784 Note "Lewis C. Shepard" on Family head stone and "Louis C. Shepard" on the Government head stone.
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohashtab/war/cw/Lewis.pdf "Library of Congress"] Congressional Record—Extensions April 27, 2005 Comments by Ohio Congressman Steven C. LaTourette

Persondata
NAME= Shepard, Louis C.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=